A ludicrous clown-fuelled parade with side notes of this classic, formerly-sombre tale.
Stepdads, led by the whimsical wunderkind duo of Luke Rollason and Tom Penn, tackle Les Mis for their latest adaptation. Taking on a complicated storyline with wanton abandon, these clowns make light work of finding revelry. Penn stars in the titular role of Jean Valjean, with Luke Rollason in the classic post of ‘man who just wants to sit down with a Tesco meal deal in peace’. If only Valjean would stop stealing his bread. With the cast from the West End braced to party with the gang after their visit to Brighton’s Bella Italia, does this version set the scene?
There’s so much to comment on, it could be an essay, so here’s a few highlights from an awe-inspiring evening.
Christian Blighty and partner Amy Greaves star as the innkeepers. They fling pickles at the audience, gherkins straddled across her stretched out, knee-hanging nipples before they fly through the air.
Tom Penn entrusts an audience member dubbed the chilliest in the room with responsibility for two melting Magnum ice creams. She soon shafts this responsibility onto another person watching, who promptly lets them melt. Penn’s devastation at this is hysterical.
Props to Ellie BW, who stars as Gavroche, who just won’t die. The energy is anarchic and the audience love it.
Lorna Rose Treen and Jonathan Oldfield strut on stage to that iconic tune from Dirty Dancing. The chemistry between these two is electric. When it comes to the big lift, machine guns lead to tragedy. Whoops.
Benjamin Alborough offers an unexpected appearance as the Phantom of the Opera. Will he ever get his chance to sing? Not if Luke Rollason has anything to say about it.
If this review has given you little idea as to the plot of Les Mis, then this reviewer must advise that this is an entirely accurate reflection of the evening, as we had all been hoping for. Musical theatre aficionados, look away.
Stepdads offer sensationally silly clowning joy that will bring a smile to your face. There’s no misery to see here. With a tip for West End producers about the performance potential of pendulous breast pickle flingers, the clowns skip into the night, ready for another day of play.
Reviewed on 25 May 2025.
